Holding device for check-straps.



No. 782,784. PATENTED PEB; 14, 1905. F. A. LE COURT;

HOLDING DEVICE POR CHECK STRAPS.

APPLIGATION FILED 001e, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1905.

FRANCIS A. LE COURT, OF EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

HOLDING DEVICE FOR CHECK-STRAPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,784, dated February 14h 1905- Application filed October 8, 1904. Serial No. 227,644.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. LE COURT, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Hartford, in the county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holding Devices for Check-Straps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Hy invention relates to saddlery-hardware, and particularly to a device for holding checkstraps.

The main object of my invention is to provide a new form of check-strap holder and equip it with a locking device which can be readily opened and closed and which when closed will hold the check-strap securely in place and prevent it from becoming accidentally detached while in use.

In the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of my invention as it appears in use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, the locking device being open.

The drawings illustrate only the preferred form of my invention.

As shown therein, I is a post around which the check-strap Q is placed when in use.

3 is a hasp-like device constituting the check locking member, said device being hinged at 4 on post I. The post I is tubular or hollow, and contained within the same is a reciprocating latch-bolt 5. The free end of hasp 3 is hooked or barbed and is arranged to be engaged by the locking-shoulder 5 on latch-bolt 5. One side of the locking-shoulder 5 is abrupt, while the opposite side (facing the hasp) is preferably inclined or beveled to facilitate the closing of the latter.

6 is a spring provided for the purpose of moving the latch 5 into a position to lock hasp 3.

7 is a finger-piece suitably secured to the latch 5 and by which the latter may be readily operated to release the hasp. As shown, the finger-piece 7 is in the form of a cap the edges of which overlap the upper end of the post I to shield it from the entrance of moisture or dirt, which would tend to impair the proper action of the latch. To prevent independent rotation of latch 5 in post I and to limit its longitudinal movement, suitable means may be provided. For example, I may recess one able therein and guided by the inner walls 100 side of the latch for a short distance, as shown at 5b, and I may then provide an inwardly-projecting shoulder I on the post l, which shoulder will project into said recess in the latch, and thus prevent it from being` forced out by the action of the spring, simultaneously acting as a spline to prevent its rotation within the post. The side of the tubular post is of course perforated, as at 1",to permit the hooked end of the hasp 3 to enter and be engaged by latch 5. The post may be secured to the harness in any desired waygfor example, by means of a threaded shank I.

In operating the device to open it it is merely necessary to press down on the fingerpiece 7, and thereby depress the latch 5, thus freeing the hasp, which may then be thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 2. As soon as pressure on the linger-piece is removed the spring 6 restores latch 5 to its normal position. IV hen the check-strap is placed over the post and it is desired to lock the same securely in place, it is merely necessary to move the hasp from the position indicated in Fig. 2 to that indicated in Fig. l, whereupon the barbed or hooked end of the hasp will ride down the incline of shoulder 5 and depress the bolt 5 until said barb clears said incline, whereupon the bolt will rise under the action of the spring and securely hold the hasp in place.

It will be observed that the article possesses a neat and attractive appearance and that the check-strap may be quickly and easily attached and while in place will be securely held against any possible accidental disengagement. Since the strain of the check-strap comes entirely upon the rigid post I, the hasp 8, bolt 5, and associated parts may be made relatively small and light, thus avoiding any cumbersome appearance.

As indicated at the outset, I have shown and described only the preferred form of my invention, which it is obvious is capable of a variety of modilications without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Vhat I claim is- I. In a device for holding check-straps, a hollow post, a spring-actuated latch-bolt slidthereof, a swinging hasp member hinged to said post, said post having a passage located in the line of movement of the free end of said hasp, la holding-shoulder on said latch-bolt arranged to engage said hasp, one of said parts being beveled whereby the closing of the hasp will momentarily retract said latch-bolt before said parts are interloeked.

2. In a device for holding check-straps, a

IO hollow post, aspring-actnated latch-bolt slidable therein and guided by the inner Walls thereof, a swinging hasp member hinged to said post, said post having a passage located in the line of movement of the free end of said FRANCIS A. LE COURT.

Witnesses:

CURTIS ABBOTT, AGNES L. MCCARTY. 

